Syrian Politician Believes Reconciliation Committees Could Be Useful

Date of publication: 18 08 2017, 10:45

According to Syrian Social Nationalist Party member, party supports the idea of establishing local reconciliation committees that will help settle Syrian crisis.

The Syrian Social Nationalist Party (SSNP) supports the idea of establishing local reconciliation committees as they could help achieving the political settlement of the ongoing crisis in Syria, Tarek Ahmad, an SSNP member, told Sputnik on Thursday.

“If they fit with the interests of Syria as a state, these local committees will help. If they are established according to the law, they will be helpful. The Syrian Social Nationalist Party as well as the Syrian government were always very supportive of any steps that may lead to political settlement and national reconciliation,” Ahmad said.

On Thursday, the Russian reconciliation center in Syria proposed to establish local reconciliation committees in Syria’s de-escalation zones comprising members of both government and armed opposition.

The Syrian opposition High Negotiations Committee (HNC) has opposed local reconciliation deals in the country, stating that they should not serve as a substitute for wholesome political settlement.

In May, Iran, Russia and Turkey, the three guarantor states of the Syrian ceasefire regime, signed at the Syrian settlement talks in Astana a memorandum on the establishment of four de-escalation zones. As of today, the guarantor states have managed to reach agreements with opposition groups on creating three zones, with the third agreed upon in late July. The consultations on the fourth safe zone in the Idlib province are ongoing.

The Syrian opposition High Negotiations Committee opposes local reconciliation deals in the country as it is afraid of losing its own influence locally.

On Thursday, the Russian reconciliation center in Syria proposed to establish local reconciliation committees in Syria’s de-escalation zones comprising members of both government and armed opposition. HNC has opposed local reconciliation deals in the country, stating that they should not serve as a substitute for wholesome political settlement.

“It was predictable that they would react this way. This kind of local committees and the process of reconciliation that takes place on the ground take away their jobs. They do not have any connection with the forces on the ground; they just try to influence the process giving orders from the hotels, from the capitals such as Riyadh, Istanbul or Cairo,” Ahmad said.

In May, Iran, Russia and Turkey, the three guarantor states of the Syrian ceasefire regime, signed at the Syrian settlement talks in Astana a memorandum on the establishment of four de-escalation zones. As of today, the guarantor states have managed to reach agreements with opposition groups on creating three zones, with the third agreed upon in late July. The consultations on the fourth safe zone in the Idlib province are ongoing

“When it comes to real work, and I am talking about real work for people on the ground, such as providing them with food and medication, it has been done by the Russians and by the Syrian government. All what HNC was doing for the last seven years was just words and dreams and plans to divide Syria,” Ahmad added.

Syria has been engulfed in a civil war for over six years with the government troops fighting against numerous opposition factions as well as terrorist groups such as the Daesh and the Jabhat Fatah al Sham, both outlawed in Russia.